Volume 5.15 | Apr 19

TOP
STORY

HIV cure research to date has focused on clearing the virus from T cells, a type of white blood cell that is an essential part of the immune system. Yet investigators have found the virus persists in HIV-infected macrophages. [Press release from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine discussing online prepublication in Nature Medicine]
Press Release | Abstract

The authors found that antigen stimulation strength was inversely associated with the function of memory CD8 T cells during a persistent viral infection. They further showed that CD8 tissue-resident memory cells recruited to the brain following systemic infection with viruses expressing epitopes with suboptimal stimulation strength respond more efficiently to challenge CNS infection with virus expressing cognate antigen. [PLoS Pathog]
Full Article

Researchers report the development of a highly protective CSP-based Plasmodium vivax vaccine, a virus-like particle known as Rv21, able to provide 100% sterile protection against a stringent sporozoite challenge in rodent models to malaria, where IgG2a antibodies were associated with protection in absence of detectable PvCSP-specific T cell responses. [Sci Rep]
Full Article

Investigators demonstrated that cytotoxic and pro-inflammatory CD4+CD28null T cells are only present in cytomegalovirus (CMV) seropositive donors and that CMV-specific Immunoglobulin G titers correlate with the percentage of these cells. [Sci Rep]
Full Article

Experiments were performed with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-infected nude mice that received CD4+ T cells by adoptive transfer. Researchers demonstrated that CD4+ T cells were necessary for the induction of mucosal and systemic RSV-specific antibodies, for the establishment of RSV-specific IgG and IgA antibody secreting cells in the upper and lower respiratory tract, and for RSV clearance. [Vaccine]
Abstract

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have been shown to enhance ex vivo effector T-cell responses from patients with chronic viral, bacterial or parasitic infection, including HIV, tuberculosis and malaria. Although the data from clinical trials in infectious diseases is still sparse, these inhibitors have great potential for treating chronic infections, especially when combined with therapeutic vaccines. [Eur J Immunol]
Abstract

Visit our
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the immunology of infectious disease research field.

Abeome Corporation announced that it has signed a Research Collaboration Agreement with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the identification of novel antibodies binding to the Zika virus using Abeome’s proprietary AbeoMouse™ platform. [Abeome Corporation]
Press Release

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) offered its backing for a special $300 million fund in the US Department of Health and Human Services to contain and eradicate future emerging infectious disease epidemics. [AIDS Healthcare Foundation]
Press Release

Theresa May’s plan to hold a general election on the 8th of June raises implications for universities in terms of whether the Higher Education and Research Bill can continue, the vote’s status as the “Brexit election”, and the expected emergence of Labor’s plan to scrap tuition fees. [Times Higher Education]
Editorial

For scientists in France, the presidential contest is often a chance to debate research and science-related issues. When Nicolas Sarkozy was elected a decade ago, for example, university reforms and environmental policy featured prominently in the campaigns. But this time, science has barely been mentioned — elbowed out by political scandals and the rise of Marine Le Pen’s far-right Front National party. [Nature News]
Editorial